Shoaib Malik, a former Pakistan captain, and seasoned all-rounder has stated that he wants to relive the thrill of winning the T20 World Cup before hanging up his boots.
The seasoned all-rounder went on to say that entering a tournament as underdogs is beneficial to the squad, as it relieves the players of any pressure.
The 39-year-old reminisced recollections of the 2009 T20 World Cup, which Pakistan won by defeating Sri Lanka in the final, in an interview with the International Cricket Council.
When the 2009 edition of the T20 World Cup began, Shoaib recalled how the squad struggled at first. However, after everyone began to perform, he remarked, the squad ramped up the tempo.
“And the men, for example, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, and, to some extent, myself, were in good form.” As a result, we began to execute consistently,” he continued.
When Shahid Afridi scored the winning run – despite a leg bye – in the 2009 World Cup final, Malik was at the non-striking end.
‘I’d want to revisit the same memories.’
Reminiscing about the event, the former Pakistan captain expressed his desire to experience similar emotions again.
“Wonderful memories. And I imagine that before I retire, I’d like to revisit the same recollections. “Let’s hope for the best,” he said.
When asked about Pakistan’s prospects, Malik replied that the team’s status as underdogs was a plus.
When no one considers the Pakistan cricket team to be favorites to win the World Cup, Malik believes the squad takes it upon themselves to prove detractors wrong.
“No one thinks you can win an event, but all of a sudden, you get momentum.” As a result, I regard it as a challenge. And I’ve seen that in our dressing room, where we view it as a challenge to win the major event if no one is talking about Pakistan,” he remarked.
He thinks it’s beneficial for the green shirts to be labeled underdogs because it motivates them to work harder “Let’s get out there and give it our all.”
Pakistan will play Afghanistan today after winning their first two T20 matches against India and New Zealand on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.
While the Men in Green appear to be in excellent form, Afghanistan possesses enough quality spinners and dangerous batters to surprise any team on any given day.